Mobile operators are experiencing very rapid increases in data traffic and require more sophisticated ways to handle high traffic volumes. Data offloading to non-Third Generation Partnership Project (“3GPP”) access networks (e.g., to Wireless Fidelity (“Wi-Fi”) access networks) is one way to reduce congestion in 3GPP access networks. It is not always appropriate, however, to move all the traffic in one direction. Rather, consideration should be given to the status of a target access network, a type of data, a subscription type, an application type and a condition of the access network.
The current access network discovery and selection function (“ANDSF”) solution does not address a number of problems. For instance, the current ANDSF does not support an architecture where the ANDSF servers are distributed across mobile telephony switching office (“MTSO”) locations within a radio access network (“RAN”). A MTSO typically is a central office (“CO”) wherein multiple base stations (e.g. 300-1000 base stations) are aggregated before connecting to a core network (“CN”). The current solution also does not address the relationship between core network ANDSF (“CNA”) servers and radio access network ANDSF (“RANA”) servers. The current solution also does not address handover between RANA servers when a user equipment (“UE”) traverses between two or more MTSOs.
Despite continued efforts, these limitations have now become substantial hindrances for efficient wide-scale deployment of mobile radio access technology. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an approach that overcomes the deficiencies in the current systems and methods.